Broken dreams
by YamiShiningFriendship
Summary: What would happen if Genesis came across the buster sword all rusted and stuck in the ground?
1. Broken Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy seven. Enough said.

A/N: I got this idea suddenly in my head while playing dirge of Cerberus then looking through my ff7 pictures. And then it got supplemented by my watching Advent Children Complete. If you can watch it, do so. It's awesome.

Also: Happy Birthday Genesis! I found somewhere that Mr. Rhapsodos' birthday is September 21st so that's what I'm sticking to.

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Genesis perched on top of what was left of the Shin-ra tower in the center of the Midgar ruins. After he had been released from his self-imprisonment due to Omega's defeat, Genesis had escaped his cavern and had settled in Edge, disguising his noticeable accent and speech with one that he had adapted from other residents of Edge. As for his appearance, he took to wearing a large dark coat and a hat to hide his cinnamon colored hair. Lucky for him, his hat's brim cast enough of a shadow to hide Mako's tell tale glimmer in his eyes.

When he could, he slipped away to Midgar and made his way through the rubble, walking to clear his thoughts. The citizens of Edge were warned against entering Midgar for fear of monster attacks and Mako radiation. Genesis, however, was a born and raised ex-SOLDIER. He could easily stand the Mako, and the monsters of Midgar did not frighten him in the least. If anything it gave him practice after having sealed himself away for what seemed like forever, which was probably only five years. Besides, with his wing he knew he fit right in with the monsters, even if he knew he wasn't one. Being in Midgar was also the only time he would dress in his normal red leather. He missed wearing it in public, but he didn't wish to be recognized…not yet.

Letting his thoughts drift back to the present, Genesis looked out over the ruins of the city from his seat on the highest perch of the ruins. It was sad, but he could still picture the broken and destroyed buildings how they were in their glory…before he left Midgar. Feeling the breeze on his face, Genesis stretched his wing and stood. It was a good day for a flight. He'd do that before donning his disguise and returning to his current home.

Taking off, Genesis circled the city once before deciding to fly over the wasteland in a lazy, ever widening spiral, still circling Midgar. He was looking around the ground on his fifth circuit when a faint glint of metal caught his eye. Flaring his wing he banked and headed to the cliff where he had spotted the glint. Landing with his back to Midgar, Genesis folded his wing and hid it away once more before turning to examine what had caught his attention. It was a rusty sword sticking out of the ground. Stepping closer, Genesis let out a little cry of dismay upon recognizing the sword.

It was the Buster Sword…his best friend's pride and joy. Only, it was chipped, dulled and rusted…everything that Angeal tried so hard to prevent happening. Reaching out to touch it, Genesis hoped that it wasn't the Buster Sword…that his mind was playing tricks on him. However, when his gloved hand made contact with the wide sword, he knew that this was indeed Angeal's sword. Falling to his hands and knees in front of the sword, Genesis closed his eyes, feeling grief well up inside him. He knew Angeal had been dead nearly ten years already…but seeing his sword all rusted and shabby made it hit home for Genesis.

"My friend…the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains…The arrow has left the bow of the goddess. My soul, corrupted by vengeance…Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey…In my own salvation…And your eternal slumber," Genesis choked out, recalling lines from Loveless, mildly surprised he remembered it after so long of not reading the poem. It was amazing how well that passage fit right now. Hands clenched suddenly in the dirt as rage overcame the redhead. Zack had the Buster Sword last as far as he knew. How dare the puppy let his mentor's sword go to rust!

Suddenly, Genesis tensed as he heard a motor coming up behind him. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts again, he hadn't heard the purr of a motorcycle's engine approaching. Bad soldier, no cookie. Staying still, he remained where he was, listening to the bike come to a stop and then turn off before footsteps started approaching him. "Who are you?" asked a soft voice. Obviously the male who interrupted Genesis' thoughts was trying not to startle Genesis too badly.

Genesis gave a small humorless laugh as he stood and turned to glance at the male behind him. A blonde…shorter than himself but had a confidence in his Mako-glimmering eyes that made up for his height. "Who I am is none of your concern," Genesis told him haughtily before reaching behind him for the hilt of the Buster Sword. Feeling the hilt, Genesis turned for better leverage and started to pull it from the ground.

"What are you doing! That's Zack's sword!" Cloud exclaimed, moving to stop Genesis. He had only taken a step before he stopped, a crimson rapier at his throat.

"Zack's sword?!" Genesis snapped, grip tightening on his rapier, "This is not Zackary Fair's sword! It was his mentor's who actually cared for the blade properly!"

Suddenly Cloud understood. He knew he had recognized this man from somewhere, and it just clicked. He had seen this man in Modeoheim before he had become a cadet, and had seen him a few times during his Mako-poisoning haze. Not to mention he used to have posters of him and Sephiroth while he had been growing up in Nibelheim. "I know who you are! You're soldier first-class Genesis Rhapsodos!"

Genesis stiffened as he recognized the blonde now. Cloud Strife, tag along to Zack Fair and a former target of his when he had been trying to get Jenova cells to stop his degradation. "It matters not if you recognize me or vice versa, Strife. I need to speak with Zack. And obviously you know where he is."

Cloud felt slightly flattered that one of his idols, …well, the one that didn't make the last few years of his life a living hell, actually knew his name, but still he managed to strike a sensitive subject. "You can't talk to Zack…he died on this very spot protecting me from Shin-ra troops," he answered, hoping that Genesis would lower his sword.

Instead of lowering it, Genesis moved his sword so that the tip was resting right up against Cloud's throat, eyes narrowing in the process. "So if he died, then logic would say that he entrusted this sword to you, correct?" When Cloud nodded slightly, Genesis' eyes narrowed further. "Fine way to take care of it!" Genesis drew his arm back slightly to stab at Cloud, but suddenly the blonde wasn't in range anymore. He had leaped backwards towards his motorcycle and pressing a button, made the sides pop out to reveal six swords.

Cloud grabbed two of the swords and rushed at Genesis. All Genesis had managed to do was piss him off. Granted he probably could have taken better care of it, but he had thought it had made better sense to place it on the cliff that Zack had died on as a marker. Swinging at Genesis, Cloud cursed as Genesis easily zipped away and parried his slashes. Genesis was faster than he thought. No matter, Cloud could defeat Sephiroth and to his knowledge, Genesis had never bested Sephiroth so his chances of success were good.

Their fight took them all over the surrounding area. The wastelands were a good place for a cat and mouse fight. Maybe only Midgar topped it, but that was because Midgar had more structures to play with. Though they were out away from civilization, they were unaware that there was an audience.

The audience, if two people could be called that, watched the fight with interest. If one were to look at the Buster Sword at a side glance, one would see two corporeal forms near it, one standing with his arms crossed comfortably, and the other sitting on the ground, back against the sword. "Cloud has gotten really strong…its quite surprising," the one sitting on the ground remarked.

His companion chuckled softly. "You saw he had promise. You yourself trained him for a time. Not to mention that somehow with his Mako poisoning, he absorbed your memories which allowed him to excel at fighting, Zack. Cloud improved greatly with your experience under his belt."

Zack smiled softly. "Yeah he beat Seph…something you and Genesis never succeeded at…and you two always double-teamed him!"

"Only for a little bit, puppy. Genesis would usually tell me to stay back after a few minutes, that he wanted to fight Seph on his own. Defeating Sephiroth was always a goal of his, but he never seemed to gain the upper hand on Sephiroth," Angeal replied before chuckling, "It became quite a sore subject."

Zack playfully scowled at his nickname. Looking back at the battle, he winced when Genesis' sword managed to slice open Cloud's shoulder when the blonde lost his footing for a moment. "So…are we going to intervene?"

Angeal nodded, grimacing when Cloud returned the favor of being sliced but to Genesis' leg. "Yes. If we don't, Gen will ignore his wound and continue to fight. Usually that ends up in serious injury. Cloud doesn't look well off either. He's having trouble holding up his sword."

"Let's go."

Genesis panted slightly, facing Cloud from across a decent sized span of dirt. Both were hurt, Genesis favoring his left leg, Cloud trying to keep the weight of his sword from affecting his left shoulder. "I must admit, strife, that you're tougher than I expected," Genesis started, slinking into a stance that would enable him to push off with his right leg and speed towards Cloud. Cloud, ever wary, kept his own stance. "However…You're still merely a cadet!" Brandishing his sword, Genesis sprung forward, using his left leg to give him more propulsion. Cloud growled and sprung forward as well, intent on meeting Genesis head on.

Before the two could meet however, they both staggered as their surroundings faded into white nothingness. Cloud felt hands on his shoulders, holding him back but careful of the wound. Struggling for a second, Cloud tested the strength of the hold before relaxing and lowering his sword. The presence in the area was comforting. It usually was when he found himself in this realm.

Genesis, however, thrashed against the hold on his right wrist, his arm held firmly in its attacking position from where Genesis had been snagged. "Stop it, Genesis," came a firm voice from behind him, causing him to tense up and freeze in surprise.

"…Angeal?" Genesis whispered, hardly daring to hope that he wasn't hearing things. The force on his wrist, which he could now identify as a large hand, relaxed its hold, allowing Genesis to lower his arm.

"Yes, it's me," Angeal replied, watching as some tension left the redhead's shoulders.

"Are you ok Cloud?" Zack wondered softly from behind his friend.

"I'll be fine," Cloud assured, feeling Zack's presence move around to in front of him. Both combatants watched in awe as Angeal and Zack appeared between them, both looking concerned.

"You two need to stop this fight," Angeal told them, frowning at Genesis slightly.

"He started it," Cloud muttered, causing Zack to snicker behind his hand, stopping though when Angeal shot the spiky haired males an exasperated look before focusing on Genesis.

Genesis shifted uncomfortably under Angeal's gaze. He hadn't had that gently reprimanding look focused on him for almost a decade…it was safe to assume that he was no longer immune to it. "Have you seen the sorry state of the Buster Sword, 'geal? One would think that you'd be more upset about it than me," came the defending whine. The only response/change in Angeal was a raising of his eyebrow.

"Looks like you aren't immune to the gaze anymore, Gen," came a soft chuckle off to Genesis' right. Turning, Genesis could make out an off white shape that gradually gained color until Sephiroth was standing next to him.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud hissed, eyes narrowing and his whole body tensing up, to which Zack laid a hand on Cloud's good shoulder with a muttered 'easy spiky…'

Green, cat-like eyes slid over to gaze at Cloud. "Cloud. Normally I would be delighted to see you since that usually means a fight, but I'm not here for you. So kindly butt out," Sephiroth drawled slightly before looking back at Genesis, thus ignoring the indignant sound that Cloud released.

"Gen, you need to let go of this grief and anger…it'll do you no good," Sephiroth told his still-living friend, watching the myriad of emotions swirl in Genesis' troubled eyes. The normally clear aqua was clouded by confusion and sadness.

"But…I…"

"We know it's not easy for you anymore, that you have no one alive to fall back on," here Angeal looked over at Zack and both nodded, making a decision. "I've known you since we were little. You always needed something or someone familiar to use as assurance. I will continue to watch you, as will Seph, but just so you have your physical anchor, I offer you the Buster Sword. You've seen me take care of it numerous times, I'm confident that you will bring it back to how it used to be," he told Genesis gently.

Genesis struggled to swallow the lump in his throat. "I will…I promise I'll care for it with the honor it deserves," he pledged.

"Good. Now don't be sad anymore," Seph told him, reaching up to wipe a stray tear from Genesis' eye, "We'll all be together again in the lifestream in due time."

Genesis offered a shaky smile and nodded. Slowly, the three spirits started to fade until he and Cloud found themselves back on the cliff that held the Buster Sword. Once Genesis regained his bearings, he turned and walked to the Buster Sword and pulled it from the ground.

"Genesis?" he heard Cloud ask. Once Genesis turned to regard Cloud, the blonde spoke again. "Look, I…I want to say that I'm sorry for not taking better care of the Buster Sword. I knew how much it meant to Zack, but for some reason I didn't treat the sword better," he apologized, putting his swords away before settling on Fenrir. "I'd like to help you restore the Buster Sword as an apology. Come to seventh heaven in Edge and ask for me. I'll be waiting for you.

Genesis gave a nod and Cloud roared off. Letting his rapier disappear, Genesis held tight to the Buster Sword and took off, flying back to where he had left his disguise, glancing back once at the site of the battle. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a shimmering figure standing on the cliff watching him go.

…

Later that evening at 7th heaven, Tifa was tending bar and the bar was quite packed so it was easy to miss a man enter the bar. The man was dressed in an ankle length trench coat and a brimmed hat with a wrapped bundle on his back. Looking around as he walked, the figure approached Tifa at the bar. "Excuse me miss, but I am looking for Cloud Strife," Genesis said, disguising his accent.

Tifa blinked in surprise. "May I ask who is looking for him?" she asked warily.

"You may. Tell him Genesis is here to see him. He's expecting me." Genesis said. Tifa nodded and headed into the back. She returned a few minutes later with Cloud right behind him.

"Genesis, good of you to come," Cloud greeted, "Come, we'll work in my office." Turning he led the ex-SOLDIER into the back and into his delivery service's office. "May I ask why you dress like that?" he asked once the door was shut.

"I'm not sure if I'm still being hunted, even though soldier was pretty much disbanded," he replied, shedding the hat and coat, running a hand through his hair, straightening his red leather coat idly before kneeling to unwrap the Buster Sword. "Not to mention that I really don't want attention right now. I caused a lot of problems when I deserted…who knows what the citizens will think of me upon recognizing me."

"You gotta face it sooner or later…maybe just go without the hat or one where you can see your eyes. There's plenty of people that have Mako glows to their eyes, no one really notices or cares about that," Cloud suggested taking from his desk a materia, polish, and a sharpening stone.

"I'll think about it," came Genesis' answer. Taking the materia, Genesis looked it over and cast restore on the blade, watching the chips, scratches, and rust disappear in a matter of moments. Smiling slightly, Genesis took the sharpening stone and started to sharpen the blade till it could cut anything easily while Cloud set to work cleaning and polishing the blade. The whole process took about an hour and a half until Genesis was satisfied and the Buster Sword looked new.

"Are you going to display the Buster Sword somewhere?" Cloud asked, admiring the gleaming blade.

Genesis sat back on his heels and thought about that. "I may display it later, but right now, I am going to take it home," he answered. Cloud nodded and stood when Genesis stood and led him out the back door so he wouldn't have to go through the crowded bar with the Buster Sword on his back.

"Hey Genesis, don't be a stranger, ok? Come back whenever you'd like," Cloud told him as the red-head started to depart. Genesis turned enough to see over his shoulder and nodded before disappearing into the darkness.

Genesis walked to the edge of Edge that was closest to Midgar and located the section his home was in. entering the house, Genesis cast his coat and hat to the side before moving into the living room. Taking the Buster Sword from his back, Genesis moved to an empty wall and leaned the Buster Sword against it before summoning his Rapier and after carefully cleaning it, leaned it so that the crimson blade crossed in front of the large blade. Stepping back, Genesis admired the look, until he felt that he was not alone.

"It looks good…however, it looks unbalanced…like its missing something." came Sephiroth's voice, "Hold out your hand, palm up." Genesis obeyed and was surprised to see Masamune form in his hand, his hand closing around the blade once it had fully manifested.

"I want you to hold onto Masamune for me. I don't need it in the lifestream, and if I ever become real again I can just summon her," Sephiroth explained. Genesis moved forward and gently rested Masamune where he knew it would look right. After securing the blades in place with supporting pegs to prevent slipping, Genesis reached into a box and removed three long feathers. One white, one a matte black, and a black feather with a bit of a shine to it.

He had collected these feathers from his friends and himself. Spreading them on a shelf in a mimic of the swords on his wall, Genesis stood back with a smile. He knew Angeal and Seph were in the room, so he knew they knew the importance of the placement of the swords. The swords were in the position of their insignia that a clever subordinate had drawn up for them while they were in SOLDIER.

"_Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return. To become the dew that quenches the land to spare the sands, the seas, the skies. I offer thee this silent sacrifice,_" Genesis recited, feeling a warm hand from each of his two friends come to rest on his shoulders, Seph on his right, and Angeal on his left. And for now, Genesis was content with the present.


	2. Longing

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FF7 nor will I ever.

**A/N:** This was originally going to be a one-shot, but as I typed it, my mind started entertaining the notion of making it into a second chapter of Broken Dreams. I'm not sure if it measures up to the first chapter, so let me know…okay?

**Warning!** Mentioned abuse. Don't like, don't read, m'not forcing you to be here.

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"_Genesis!"_

_Usually the call of this youngster's name would produce results. However, when the youth's friend called the name, there was no response. Frowning, the raven haired boy moved farther down the path at a trot, calling out Genesis' name again. Angeal was worried about his friend. They were supposed to meet up this morning to go swimming and after Genesis didn't show up for a few hours, Angeal had gotten worried. Now he was looking all over Banora for his friend._

_Entering the dumbapple orchard, Angeal paused to catch his breath and think of where the smaller boy of seven could be. He had checked the town, Genesis wasn't at his home or at Hollander's, so logic meant he had to be somewhere in the orchard. Moving slowly once he had rested, Angeal listened for anything that could give the redhead's location away. "Genesis?" he called, "It's Angeal. Please come out."_

_Suddenly Angeal stopped dead and listened. He could have sworn he heard a sniffle sound off to his right. "Gen?" he questioned and was rewarded by another sniffle followed by a quiet 'go away.' Moving off the path between the trees, Angeal moved into the dense branches of the arched trees and almost stumbled over Genesis in the process. Genesis had hidden himself well in the thick branches. He had chosen a spot where the tree 'tops' of three trees touched so his fiery red hair had been concealed._

"_There you are," Angeal sighed, dropping to his knees in front of his friend. Genesis had his knees drawn to his chest and his face buried in his knees. "Genesis? What's wrong?" he wondered, reaching out to touch the redhead on the shoulder._

_Immediately Genesis swung at Angeal, hoping to hit him away. He wanted to be alone right now….he hated being caught crying. "I said, go away, 'geal!"_

"_I will not." Reaching out, Angeal managed to snag Genesis' chin and raised it up so he could see his friend's face, the boy struggling only slightly with a small whine of protest before yielding. Angeal cupped Genesis' face in his hands and brushed the spilled tears away from watery aqua eyes._

_The redhead's nose was all red, as were his eyes and face from crying. Angeal gently brushed Genesis' hair away from his face before noticing a dark bruise forming on his cheek. "It happened again, didn't it?" Angeal murmured, frowning when Genesis nodded shakily._

"_F-Father doesn't like that I'm friends with you. He got angry when he learned that I've spent more time with you than studying or something boring like that," Genesis clarified, scrubbing at his face with his hands to rub away his tears. He was the older of the two by a few months, so it never sat well with him that he was the bigger crybaby._

_Angeal watched Genesis try to recompose himself. He missed the happy-go-lucky yet shy boy that he had first made friends with. That Gen rarely showed anymore, hidden under protective layers of arrogance and mouthyness. "…Hey Gen?"_

"_What is it 'geal?" Genesis wondered, looking up curiously. His face was still splotchy, but at least his eyes were back to normal and not puffy or bloodshot._

"_You know I'll always be there for you… right?"_

_Genesis' head snapped up so fast, Angeal thought he gained whiplash from the movement. "You…mean that?" he wondered, hardly daring to believe it. Genesis came from a not so loving home so he was wary of sentiment._

"_Always." Angeal had been hoping that'd get Genesis to at least smile. What he hadn't expected was to have his arms full of a once again crying Genesis though Angeal knew the tears were happy ones this time around._

Genesis woke up from his dream and sleepily rolled over to look at the clock in his room, curious as to the time. It was still night, but night so late that it could be considered early morning. Sitting up, Genesis pulled his knees to his chest and held them there, resting his chin on them. Memories of Angeal had been coming up in dreams lately, and even though the vast majority were good memories, waking always left Genesis with a strong sense of loss. Shifting so that his forehead was against his knees, the auburn haired warrior let loose a single tear.

Getting up with a sudden urge, Genesis padded out of his room and down the hall to his modest living room where his and his friends' swords rested. Sitting down with his back against the Buster Sword, Genesis leaned his head back against the cool metal and closed his eyes. "You lied…you're not here for me now…" Unwilling tears slid out from between the thick lashes and didn't stop until Genesis had fallen back into a fitful sleep, unaware that he had two visitors of the spectral kind.

'He's not adjusting…'

'Shut up Zachary.'

'Seriously! Genesis is depressed! I don't think he can go on for much longer without a living anchor. The Buster Sword was supposed to make him feel better but it only worked for a while! We need to do something, Seph!'

Sephiroth sighed and brought a hand up to rub at his temples. 'And what do you propose, Zachary? We don't have the power to become corporeal and stay that way. Genesis needs someone who can always be there in the flesh if needed. I've known him since we were little. He's always needed someone whether he realized it or not.'

Zack thought about that. Seph did have a point about them not being able to help Genesis in the way he seemed to be in need of. However… 'I think I got something!'

'Careful Zachary, I think I see smoke coming out of your ears,' Sephiroth cut in dryly.

Zack blinked and looked at Seph incredulously. 'Did you just make a joke? Dude you never joke!'

A silver eyebrow rose before its owner shrugged. 'Aerith said I needed to lighten up some. Angeal has been helping me work on my sense of humor; though I seem to be failing at understanding most forms of it.'

The raven haired male grinned at seeing a comeback. 'You? Fail at something? Shocker.' Dodging the swat from Seph, Zack continued to grin. 'But seriously, I think I may know someone who could help Genesis. Think about it.'

'You don't mean…'

'Yup, I'm talking about Cloud.'

…

In the morning, Zack set off to look for Cloud, Sephiroth staying behind to keep an eye on/talk to Genesis. Zack went and checked Seventh Heaven first, smiling a little at remembering when he helped that one guy in the slums think of that same name for the original bar. Not seeing Fenrir where it was usually parked, Zack decided to go check Midgar. He'd start with Aerith's church and go from there.

When he got to Aerith's church, Zack grinned in triumph at seeing his friend's motorcycle parked outside and entered. Inside, Cloud was sitting with his back to the door and looking up through the hole in the ceiling at the visible sky. Not counting the damage from the fights with the remnants that had taken place there, the hole that Zack had caused when he fell through it had grown…then he remembered Cloud had done the same thing. Lucky them. Zack bounced in place. What a perfect opportunity to scare him.

One minute Cloud was relaxed and happy, the next, he was being tackled into the pool by a surprise assault accompanied by a shout of 'Spikey!' Surfacing with a splutter, Cloud glared at the now corporeal and widely grinning Zack.

"What was that for?" Cloud groused as he splashed Zack in the face before making his way to the edge and hoisting himself back onto the floorboards.

Zack wiped his face off and made his way over to Cloud and climbing out next to him. "Couldn't help it," he replied cheekily, reaching up to rub a hand through Cloud's spikes affectionately, "How's life?"

"It's been good. The kids are a bundle of energy but it's refreshing after a long and boring delivery run. I noticed you changed your bangs again."

"Yeah, Angeal compared my slicked back style to one of those fish that have a light on that antenna in front of their faces so I went back to my old style. I have to say I missed it a bit," Zack replied before switching topics to the main reason for his visit. "Hey Cloud…have you heard from Genesis lately?"

Cloud blinked in mild surprise. "I catch sight of him sometimes in Midgar if he's wandering around, but otherwise no, he keeps to himself mostly. Why, is something wrong with him?"

Zack sighed and nodded. "In a way yes. Genesis, from what I've been told, has always relied on one of his friends for support ever since he was young. Now that he's alive and his friends aren't, Gen is slowly spiraling into depression and we fear he may not survive."

"Wasn't that the Buster Sword's role? To be his 'anchor?'"

"It was, but it doesn't seem to be working as we hoped. That's why I've come to you for a favor. Can you try to help Genesis out of his funk and back into a normal life?"

Cloud thought about it, weighing the pros and cons of helping Genesis out. In reality, there were no cons to helping Genesis, especially if the redhead's life was saved. The pros were fairly obvious as well. Already he had an idea on how to go about it. "I'll help, Zack. Although, I need to talk with Tifa first to see if she'll help out as well."

Zack's face lit up into a grin and he looked relieved. "Thanks Spike, this means a lot…..although, you'll never catch Seph saying that. It took me a while to convince him to let you help. He's awfully protective of Genesis while he's like this and while he's been getting better, Jenova's thoughts still influence him from time to time, namely when you're concerned. So if he tries anything, ignore him," he instructed.

With a nod, Cloud stood, determining himself sufficiently dry. "I will, but thanks for letting me know he won't just be acting like a giant prick intentionally. I understand that he wants what's best for Genesis and that right now my name doesn't compute with that want." Giving a graceful shrug, Cloud turned to leave. "I need to go talk to Tifa. I'll talk to you later, Zack."

Once Cloud left, Zack flopped onto his back and stared up at the sky, enjoying feeling the sun on his face for a while before he'd turn back into a spirit. "I just hope Genesis isn't too much of a mule to resist the help," he mused.

Meanwhile in Edge, Genesis was busy conversing with Sephiroth. The redhead had woken up to find his back and neck stiff from sleeping propped up against the Buster Sword. As he had stretched and twisted to loosen his back up, Genesis had been startled into alertness by catching a flicker of silver through a gap in his hair. Turning, Genesis had spotted Sephiroth leaning against the wall near the hilt of Masamune. Genesis had bitched and whined about Seph scaring him for no reason before calming down and settling on the couch, the silver haired male joining him.

"So, are you going to tell me why you decided to spend a good portion of the night on the floor?" Seph asked, once they had finished catching up from the last time they had spoken. Genesis sighed and looked down at his lap, idly picking at a loose thread on his cuff that had been tickling his wrist.

"I…I don't exactly know," Genesis admitted, "I had a memory dream again and every time I wake up from one of those, I can't help but feel that I was cheated out of my friends. I was supposed to be the first to die…I should have been dead long ago. But no, Angeal had to try and help me and he ended up dying first. Then you died…more than once. That left me to rot unnaturally long with my degradation, only being healed when Zack defeated me and somehow prompted the Goddess into healing me. I thought that was the point where fate would be kind to me once more, but then Zack just had to go and get himself riddled with bullet holes."

Sephiroth fought off a small smile at Genesis' mention of Zack. He knew if the younger male had heard that, he would have been indignant to the point where he would have started whining and making his nickname of 'puppy' stick all the more. "So…why don't you make new friends? Give yourself something to live for again," he suggested, pointing out a logical and very obvious solution. Sometimes he wondered about the auburn's lack of common sense.

"Right…I don't even know if I'm still being hunted or not. Rufus is a stubborn brat like that sometimes," Genesis drawled, "If I made friends, I wouldn't be able to hide my appearance anymore." He knew what Seph meant though, and there was only one person who Genesis felt he'd be comfortable around. Had SOLDIER still been up and running, he would have more people to choose from. Mundane and normal people tended to annoy the redhead. He needed someone who could keep up with his mako enhancements. Normal people just couldn't do that.

His silver haired friend let out a small hum of thought. "Maybe…and I really hate this idea, just so you know…you could have Cloud inquire as to if you're being hunted or not still. Zack tells me he's pretty friendly with the remaining Turks and Rufus," Sephiroth suggested, making a small grimace at the thought of Cloud helping. Sure he knew that Cloud was really the only option, unless they could find out what happened to Luxiere or Kunsel. Or maybe just Kunsel, for Zack had mentioned that while he was on the run with Cloud, Luxiere had seemed to be only interested in the promotion that would have surely come with turning the two in rather than helping Zack and Cloud get to safety. Zack still scowled at the mention of Luxiere, and it's been years since then.

Kunsel on the other hand, Zack had spent quite some time trying to find after Meteorfall. It seems like his friend, the information uncoverer of Shinra, had pretty much vanished from company records shortly after Zack's death had truly happened, not when the PHS announcement had been sent out. Zack believed him to still be alive, but wasn't entirely sure after the Geostigma episode. Aerith agreed to search the lifestream to see if Kunsel had indeed died, but there were no promises. Idly, Seph had a feeling that if Kunsel were alive, he'd be a good friend for Genesis. And he'd keep Genesis' existence a secret.

Both ex-Soldiers' heads turned at hearing the faint roar of a motorcycle approaching. "It appears, Cloud is coming in this direction," Sephiroth observed dryly.

Genesis tipped his head and listened intently. "Yes, that's Fenrir alright, but Cloud never heads towards Midgar through this way," he mused. He wondered what the blonde was coming this way for. Unless… "Do you think he's coming here, Sephiroth?" Immediately, Sephiroth lost control of the scowl he had been trying so hard to hold back, causing Genesis to laugh. "I'm going to get dressed if that's the case. If you're not here when I come out I'll talk to you later, ok?" Sephiroth nodded and Genesis got up and vanished into his room.

Sephiroth paced slightly, unsure what to do with himself, and ended up back near Masamune. Lifting the legendary blade in his hand, Seph couldn't help but look it over. Genesis had been taking meticulous care of the long blade it seems, and not just Masamune, he noted. None of the blades had a speck of dust on them and all three gleamed and looked quite deadly. Noting his hand starting to look translucent, Sephiroth placed Masamune back on its pegs and moved to pace some more. He didn't get far when Strife's motorcycle, as much as he had tried to ignore the sound, pulled up in front of the house. Moving towards the door, Sephiroth waited until Cloud was approaching the door and opened it with the last of his solidity and visibility. "If you hurt him, Strife, I will come back again and make you wish you were dead," he threatened as Cloud entered hesitantly through the open door.

Cloud started in surprise and turned to where Sephiroth's voice had come from and could barely make out the shape of the former General. Apparently Sephiroth had been visiting Genesis. Nodding to the specter, Cloud sighed as Seph vanished and moved into the living room just as Genesis emerged from his room fully dressed.

"Cloud, what brings you here?" Genesis wondered, flexing his hands idly. He didn't have his coat, harness, or gloves on and thus felt a little exposed. Cloud smiled slightly at the unconscious gesture and motioned back towards the door. "I came to collect you. Tifa and I want you to come spend the day and eat dinner with us tonight." Genesis as surprised that the tone in Cloud's voice held no room for arguments, just like Angeal's. Seeing no way out of it, Genesis gave a small nod and moved to grab his darker coat, still unsure about wearing the red leather one. Once Genesis had put the coat on, the two left the house and got onto Fenrir. As Cloud started up the motorcycle, feeling Genesis tense a bit in apprehension, he hoped that this idea of his and Tifa's worked.

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A/N: one more chapter after this! I think….


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